Monday, January 18, 2021

Q & A: Catching Up On Some Older Questions

 



Q: “Any chance to get a metal roller ball version of the Vertex?” – JH

A: We are in fact looking at potentially machining the Vertex out of metal at some point this year. They won’t specifically be limited to rollerball refills since the Vertex can be used with a converter, so they’ll likely be sold as both rollerball and fountain pen versions. But if all things shake out, we’ll have a small batch of metal Vertexes available before the end of 2021.

 

Q: “Have you considered making wooden writing instruments?” – JA

A: We’ve looked at machining stabilized wood and other materials, but even if we were to do something like that it would be in very limited quantities likely as a Limited Edition similar to the Pony Express pen we released last year. Part of the reason for not moving forward on this is that there are some amazing pen makers using predominantly wood as their medium when it comes to pens. Ryan Krusac immediately comes to mind. We’ve often been shared Pen Show floorspace with Ryan and his work is some of the best out there. Another pen maker that uses wood frequently is Troy Clark from Brute Force Designs, again making really quality pens. We consider both Ryan and Troy friends, and at this point in lieu of making a Karas Pen Co pen out of wood, we’d refer you to either of these pen makers.

 

Q: “Is there a possibility of carbon fiber or titanium being used in the future?” – Too many to list

A: While we don’t have plans to use carbon fiber any time soon, we’re not ruling out adding titanium or other materials in the future. Last year we branched out and added bronze in a limited edition pen, we plan on machining a few other pen models out of bronze this year in an attempt to add some variety to the Kustoms Line of pens. We do look at adding materials, especially to the Kustoms Line, at the beginning of the year when we do our initial planning phase, and we reevaluate those plans throughout the year. As soon as we officially decide on what materials we plan on adding, we’ll start teasing stuff to the Pen Club members and likely show off finished pens a week or so before their release dates via Facebook, Instagram, and the Karas Pen Co Newsletter.

 

Q: “Will the shipwreck pens be stocked on a regular basis?” – Z

A: While we don’t plan on them being a regular addition, we are hoping to partner with Mr. Knox again this year for some small-batch releases. Likely towards the summer if everything pans out, and we can get a batch of raw pens over to him. We’ve had a lot of requests for them since we sold through them, bringing them back in a limited fashion seems appropriate for something special this year.

 

Q: “What’s your favorite pen product you’ve released?” – AL

A: I think this question would have a different answer depending on who you asked around the shop. That being said, my favorite pen would be the Vertex. It’s the most comfortable pen for me to use, it’s equally as functional as a fountain pen as it is a rollerball. It is nearly as quick to deploy as a click pen. It comfortably fits in my pocket as well. A close second would be the Retrakt, but this is a recent addition of mine as I formerly disliked it. But with a ringed grip and a Pilot Precise refill it’s a really great pen, and one I keep at my desk all the time.

 

While we wait to get the video studio back up and running, I’ll continue to randomly pull unanswered questions from older Q&A forms, but if you have a question we’ve added a new 2021 Q&A form HERE. Please feel free to ask your questions and I’ll strive to get to all of them eventually.

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